Crash of a Vickers Wellington into the Gulf of Aden: 10 killed
Date & Time:
Oct 1, 1947 at 1200 LT
Operator:
Registration:
NC565
Survivors:
No
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a cargo flight from Aden-Khormaksar Airport. Enroute, the airplane went out of control, went into a dive by an angle of 30° and finally crashed into the Gulf of Aden, about 352 km east of Aden. Few debris were found but no trace of the ten occupants who were considered as deceased. The aircraft sank in relatively deep. It is believed that an engine failed in flight and that the crew mistakenly shot down the wrong engine. It is possible that the engine failure was caused by a lack of electric power due to the failure of a battery. Also, it appears that the cargo loading was completed against the published procedures and that the CofG was affected, which may contribute to the loss of control.
